by Rhys Rowlyn
“Tristan, yes…” She moves her hips faster, and I rub her bundle of nerves with my thumb, feeling her tighten around me as she gets closer to her peak.
I flip us over and thrust harder and faster into her and lift her tighter against me. She screams, toppling over the edge and taking me with her as pleasure runs down my spine. Zoey’s fangs come down, and she bites into my neck. I do the same to her, taking her blood into my system as I feel our bond growing between us.
My heart pounds in my chest. I look up at her with wonder in my eyes, knowing I am fully bonded to my mate.
“Your heart is beating, and the mate bond feels much stronger. Do you feel it?” she whispers.
“Yes, love, I feel it. My love for you was strong, but this bond, it is now whole.” I kiss her softly, rolling to my back and pulling her against my side.
“Yes, I feel whole also. I feel stronger somehow.” She walks her fingers up my chest, glancing up and meeting my gaze. “You know I can still go out into the sun?”
“And how do you know this?” I narrow my eyes, frowning.
She shrugs a shoulder, looking down, and her cheeks turn pink. “I woke up early the other day and decided to test it. It was the same as it always is, no side effects whatsoever.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I take a deep breath, keeping my voice calm.
“I was going to, but you’ve been so protective lately, I didn’t want to upset you.” She sits up, glancing down at me over her shoulder.
I know what she’s saying is the truth, and I also know I need to get a hold of myself. I don’t want my mate to feel as if she has to hide things from me. “It’s midmorning now. Do you think I’ll be able to handle the sunlight?”
“Only one way to find out.” She grins, bouncing out of the bed.
We dress and head downstairs, just as the back door opens and two heavily cloaked individuals race in. I push Zoey behind me, preparing for battle, when Phillipe uncovers his head.
“Phillipe!” I am shocked but happy to see my brother.
“Tristan, it’s so good to see you.” He clasps me into a tight hug, slapping my back.
I step back and pull Zoey to my side. “I would like to introduce you to my mate, Zoey.”
“Hello, Zoey, I’m Giselle, and this is my mate, Phillipe.” Giselle takes Zoey’s hand and pats it lightly. “We are so happy to have you as part of the family.”
“What are you two doing up?” Phillipe looks from Zoey to me, raising his brows.
“We are testing a theory. I was about to go outside and see if I can handle the sunlight.”
Zoey and I walk outside before the couple can stop us, and I stand in the sun for the first time in over five hundred years. Its warmth touches my face, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until this moment. I grab Zoey into my arms, swinging her around and laughing.
“How is this possible?” Phillipe yells from inside the door.
Zoey and I reenter the kitchen before I answer. “Zoey is half fae, so her blood has made this possible.”
“As mates, we enhance each other’s powers. I’m so happy about this.” She hugs my waist, grinning up at me.
The couple smiles at our excitement, leading us to the table and motioning for us to sit.
“I take it you two had a good trip. Did you find anything out?” I pull out a chair for Zoey and take a seat next to her.
Phillipe leans back, stretching his arms out behind him. “The trail went completely cold, so we felt it was time to come home. Maybe we can figure something out with the help of everyone.”
“Does Alastair not want to be found?” I can’t imagine why the man would be avoiding Phillipe, but it does appear this may be the case.
“It appears so.” Giselle leans her head on Phillipe’s shoulder, taking his hand in hers.
“So strange, he has to know we would not seek him out unless it was necessary.” I cross my arms over my chest.
Phillipe rubs the back of his neck, sighing deeply. “I would never try to understand how Alastair works or what his motivations are.”
“You two must be exhausted. We’ll talk more tonight.” I push back my chair and stand. “Zoey and I are going to head back to bed.”
We leave the couple in the hall and head to our room.
“Are you worried that they couldn’t find Alastair?” Zoey asks as soon as we are in the privacy of our bedroom.
“Why would I be worried?” I grab her hips and pull her to me, kissing her forehead.
“You don’t think he’s gone bad, do you?” She draws circles on my chest, wrinkling her brow.
“No, I really don’t. Now, why he’s avoiding us, I don’t know, but I don’t think he’s gone feral.” If there is one thing I’m certain of, it’s this. Alastair is one of the strongest vampires I know.
“Good, I’m glad you’re so sure. He must have his reasons.” She yawns, leaning her forehead against my chest.
“Let’s go to bed and get some rest. We have plenty of time to worry about these things. Right now, I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, knowing you love me.” I pull her to the bed and sit on the side.
“Sounds like what I want to do for the rest of my days: sleep in your arms, knowing you love me.” She crawls onto my lap, and we fall back on the bed, secure in each other’s arms.
Also by Rhys Rowlyn
Daughters of the Vieux Carré
Shadowed Awakening
Shadowed Allure
Shadowed Valor
Shadowed Secret
Shadowed Desire
The Forgotten Ones Saga
The Forgotten Curse
About Rhys Rowlyn
By day Rhys is helping people as a nurse and during the night she’s creating characters and other worlds.
Throughout the years she has honed her wicked sense of humor and mastered sarcasm down to a fine art. She has always had an avid imagination and now she’s putting it to good use.
Rhys was told over and over she should write a book and she finally took the plunge, turning her stories into books. She loves creating complex characters and other worlds for others to enjoy. Her perfect day is sitting at her computer, spinning her worlds into words.
When Rhys isn’t writing she’s spending time with her family or sitting on the beach with a book in one hand and a frozen drink in the other.